Green Party first to announce European Elections candidates
The Green Party has selected its candidates for the South East Region (which includes Thame) for the European Elections, due to be held on Thursday, May 23, 2019.
The Green Party, which has held a seat in the region for twenty years, is aiming to win a second seat in this year’s election.
1074 Green Party members (14%) voted to select the list of 10 from 22 candidates in an STV ballot.
The Candidates in order of selection are:
Alexandra Phillips, Brighton and Hove Green Party
Elise Benjamin, Oxfordshire Green Party
Vix Lowthion, Isle of Wight Green Party
Leslie Groves Williams, Adur Green Party
Phélim Mac Cafferty, Brighton and Hove Green Party
Jan Doerfel, North Surrey Green Party
Larry Sanders, Oxfordshire Green Party
Isabella Moir, Mid-Sussex, Crawley and Horsham Green Party
Oliver Sykes, Brighton and Hove Green Party
Jonathan Essex, East Surrey Green Party
The South East region has returned a Green MEP for 20 years, since Caroline Lucas first won her seat back in 1999. Keith Taylor has held the post since 2010. The Green Party hopes that the current candidates will continue to push the boundaries where Caroline and Keith have succeeded thus far.
At the last European Parliament elections in 2014, across the UK, the Green Party increased MEP numbers from two to three. Recent opinion polls predict that the number of Green MEPs could double, with the possibility of two MEPs being elected in the South East of England.
Lead candidate Alexandra Phillips said of her nomination: “Greens elected to the European Parliament aren’t just going to stop Brexit – we can be trusted to fight against inequality, defend peoples’ rights at work and take the action we so desperately need on climate change. We’ll take a stand against the rise of racism across the continent, and be MEPs for everyone who lives in our region, whether they have lived here for their whole lives or recently arrived.
“I cannot wait to go head to head with Nigel Farage to show him that we reject his party’s hate – and believe in working with our European neighbours on our shared challenges.”
